Artwork
The Cheyenne Brothers Returning from Their Fall Hunt
The Cheyenne Brothers Returning from Their Fall Hunt is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist George Catlin. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1865, *The Cheyenne Brothers Returning from Their Fall Hunt* is an oil painting executed on card that has been mounted on a paperboard support. The work shows two Cheyenne riders on horseback, still and poised after a hunt, set against a sparse landscape that includes a solitary tree. The composition captures a brief, tranquil instant in the daily routine of Plains peoples.
Subject & Meaning
The scene presents two Native American men dressed in traditional attire, their hair adorned with feathers, embodying the cultural dress of the Cheyenne. By depicting the moment of return rather than the chase itself, the image emphasizes the routine and communal aspects of hunting life, offering a glimpse into the ordinary rather than the heroic.
Technique & Style
Catlin employed oil on a relatively small card, a medium that allowed for quick, portable work during his travels. The brushwork is modest, focusing on clear outlines and muted coloration that convey the figures and their horses without elaborate detail. The inclusion of a single tree and open sky reflects the straightforward, documentary style characteristic of his Plains Indian series.
History & Provenance
George Catlin, a lawyer‑turned‑artist, spent the 1830s traveling among western tribes, producing a large body of work that recorded Indigenous customs.
George Catlin, a lawyer‑turned‑artist, spent the 1830s traveling among western tribes, producing a large body of work that recorded Indigenous customs. Earlier in his career he produced engravings of Erie Canal scenes and later supplied lithographs for Cadwallader D. Colden’s 1825 publication. This 1865 painting belongs to the later phase of his career, when his focus had shifted entirely to portraying Native American life.
Artist & collection
Artist
George Catlin ( KAT-lin; July 26, 1796 – December 23, 1872) was an American lawyer, painter, author, and traveler, who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the American frontier.
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